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Posted by farid (Guest) - Wednesday, October 29 2003, 9:49:16 (EST)
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Thinking Out Loud

It seems to me that any meaningful humanitarian aid is out of our scope right now. We can do some of it, but if anyone's life really depended on it we haven't much to fall back on. The only way we can benefit ourselves is to make something of ourselves first. Like a rag tag assemblage of individuals who have to be whipped into shape before you can expect much from them as a group.

We almost have to begin at the beginning. We have a few people willing to build someting who have nothing more in the way of tools or material besides their willingness. That "willingness" is most necesary, perhaps even the most important thing, but it has to be expanded upon and focused. Let's say we were able to jump ahead 100 years after we've expanded on this willingness...held conferrences about it...met around the world with other willing people and are so charged up and even well endowed...ahem...that we're primed, loaded and ready to fire in some direction...what would that direction then be? Further, let's say someone died and left us five hundred million dollars...what do we do then?

Certainly we'd want to make sure there's some venue or pathway through which we could go on meeting and stirring up enthusiasm for the future, so that one central location to meet in and plan and just be among others like us would be of value. We don't have to have a country but some focal point wouldn't hurt. The leadershit of Assyria today looks too much like a travelling carnival show that moves into town for a night or two, depending on the revenues, then packs its tents and disappears over the horizon.

So we build something somewere and all gather together for an annual meeting...and then what? It would seem to be important to ensure some sort of mechanism that will survive any charismatic leader like a Jackie. No program can survive on the back of, or in the hope of attracting, one or two really competant and motivated individuals...the program itself has to be competant and even charismatic in a way...the structure has to hold us up rather than the other way around.

It would be good to support people of our own who go into the study of our history and heritage. As Dr Robert said once, when a person dedicates his or her life to the study of Assyriology or Chaldolology he or she devotes themselves or condemns themselves to a lifetime of poverty...so some funds and supplemetal aid would be a good thing. This is really money well spent because it builds for the future...like good schools get good endowments.

In culture and the arts, anything that promotes our name and culture should be funded until our efforts can stand on their own...until we produce or inspire or draw the interest of authors whose books can stand on their own. There are Hebrew publishing houses and they perform this task. An author can first feel like one by seeing his or her book in print...just for the FEEL of it and to give them a taste for more. Hell, we could even hire Jew consultants and learn from them.

Whatever money we would have in this fantasy should be used as seed money...to plant things that have a chance of growing on their own some day. A professional, well versed in geting grants, would be a good thing to have on the payroll...for those projects that might be deemed worthy of outside support...even to cultural things like putting together a board for a dance or theatre troupe. All of it is advertisement, if you want to be crass about it...and why not? All of it is intended to grow the base...because without a wide, diverse and growing power base, nothing will get built or be able to last beyond the superhuman efforts of one or two people...and that goes nowhere in the end.

It has to be sexy to be Assyrian...there has to be a sexy place to be Assyrian in...and there have to be sexy things to do as Assyrians. Humanitarian aid isn't sexy no matter how necessary it is...some of it will always be a necessity, but it can't be the focus or all we're going to achieve is a permament fund to help people our own neglect puts in harm's way, permanently...you have to move them out of the way at some point if you would have anyone believe you care about them.

Basically we have to do the kinds of things that will attract other Assyrians to join...even if they only come together at first to chat and be sexy. Someday one or two of them will be brighter than you or I and come up with better ideas...or will invent something and get rich enough and already be committed enough that something can get funded. We, standing on a firm base of marshmallows today, can't hope to be around to actually see things get done...whole and real and complete things. We're in the position of the advance scout who "merely" has to blaze the trail to where the settlement could go...but without whose efforts, nothing will survive to build upon or with.

more later...

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